The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-02

drunk you are, or rool,' sez 1, 'fo think O.
such thing Staples sez, be you man,
Staples, and 'spect to raise hi under my
roof, and invalids lynn roundr But they
would come-they would. Thet's wot you
must 'spect O. such trash as lays round the
Bar"
A burst of laughter from the men followed
this unfortunate exposure. Whether it was
overheard in the kitchen, or whether the Old
Mans irate companion had just then ex-
hausted all other modes of expressing her
contemptuous indignation l cannot say, but
a back door was suddenly slammed with
great violence. A moment later and the Old
Man reappeared, happily unconscious of the
cause of the late hilarious outburst, and
smiled blandly.
"The old woman thought she'd jest run
over to Mrs. McFadden's for sociable CALL"
he explained, with iaunty Indifference, as he
took seat at the board
Oddly enough, it needed this untoward in
cident to relieve the embarrassment that was
beginning to be felt by the party, and their
natural audacity returned with their host I
do not propose to record the convivialities of
that evening. The inquisitive reader win ac-
cept the statement that the conversation was
characterized by the same intellectual exalta-
ton, the same cautious reverence, the same
fastidious delicacy, the same rhetorical pre-
cision and the same logical and coherent dis
course somewhat later in the evening which
distinguish similar gatherings of the mascu-
line sex in more civilized localities and under
more favorable auspices No glasses were
broken, in the absence of any; no liquor
was uselessly split on floor or table, in the
scarcity of that article,
1t was nearly midnight when the festivities
were interrupted "Hush," said Dick Bullen,
holding up his hand. 1t was the querulous
voice of Johnny from his adjacent closet:
20, dadl"
The Old Man arose hurriedly and disap-
peared in the closet. Presently he reappeared.
"His rheumatic is coming on agin bad" he
explained, "and he wants rubbin'" He lifted
tie demijohn Ct whisky from the table and
shook it. 1t was empty. Dick Bullen put
down his tin cup with an embarrassed laugh.
So did the others. The Old Man examined
their contents and said, hopefully: II reckon
that's enough; he don't need much. You
hold on all O. you for a SPELL and I'll be
back" and vanished in the closet with an old
flannel shirt and the whisky. The door closed
but imperfectly, and the following dialogue
was distinctly audible:
"Now, sonny, whar does she ache worst!"
Sometimes over yer and sometimes under
| yer; but it's most powerful from yer to yer.
Rnb yer, dad"
A silence seemed to indicate a brisk rub
Ting. Then Johnny:
"Hevin' good time out yer, dad!"
"Yes. sonny"
"Tomorrers Chrismiss, amt its'
Eyes, sonny. How does she feel now"
Better. Rub little furder down. Wot's
Chrisnliss, anyway Wots it all abouts"
90, it's day.
This exhaustive definition was apparently
satisfactory, for there was a silent interval
of rubbing. Presently Johnny again:
MAR sez that everywhere else but yer
everybody gives things to everybody Chris
miss, and then she jist waded inter you She
says thar's man they call Sandy Claws, not
white man, you know, but a kind
O. Chnemin, comes down the chimbley
night afore Chrismiss and gives things
to chillern-boys like me. Puts 'em in theil
butes Thet's what she tried to play upon
me. Easy now, pop, whar are you rubin
to9-thets mile from the place. She jest
made that up, didn't she, jest to aggrewate
me and youa Don't rub thar Why
dad!'